U.S. patent application number 13/806345 was filed with the patent office on 2013-05-09 for system for producing and supplying hydrogen and sodium chlorate, comprising a sodium chloride electrolyser for producing sodium chlorate.
This patent application is currently assigned to MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A.. The applicant listed for this patent is Antonio Delfino. Invention is credited to Antonio Delfino.
Application Number | 20130115535 13/806345 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43384424 |
Filed Date | 2013-05-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130115535 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Delfino; Antonio |
May 9, 2013 |
System for Producing and Supplying Hydrogen and Sodium Chlorate,
Comprising a Sodium Chloride Electrolyser for Producing Sodium
Chlorate
Abstract
A system is provided for producing hydrogen and oxygen based on
decomposition of sodium chlorate (NaClO.sub.3). In a service
station, NaClO.sub.3 is produced by a sodium chloride (NaCl)
electrolyser. The service station is supplied with water
(H.sub.2O), NaCl, and energy in order to carry out an electrolysis
reaction in the electroyser, to produce NaClO.sub.3 and gaseous
hydrogen (H.sub.2). The NaClO.sub.3 and H.sub.2 are supplied to
vehicles. Each vehicle includes a reactor for decomposing the
NaClO.sub.3 and producing reaction products of NaCl and oxygen,
with the oxygen being supplied to a fuel cell.
Inventors: |
Delfino; Antonio;
(Clermont-Ferrand, FR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Delfino; Antonio |
Clermont-Ferrand |
|
FR |
|
|
Assignee: |
MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE
S.A.
GRANGES-PACCOT
CH
COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
CLERMONT-FERRAND
FR
|
Family ID: |
43384424 |
Appl. No.: |
13/806345 |
Filed: |
June 7, 2011 |
PCT Filed: |
June 7, 2011 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP11/59379 |
371 Date: |
January 16, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
429/422 ;
204/269; 204/275.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01M 8/0656 20130101;
B60L 50/72 20190201; Y02T 90/40 20130101; C25B 1/04 20130101; Y02T
10/70 20130101; C25B 9/00 20130101; C25B 1/14 20130101; H01M
2250/20 20130101; B60L 58/30 20190201; H01M 8/0606 20130101; Y02E
60/36 20130101; C25B 1/265 20130101; H01M 8/04208 20130101; Y02E
60/50 20130101; H01M 8/065 20130101; B60L 50/51 20190201; C25B 9/18
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
429/422 ;
204/275.1; 204/269 |
International
Class: |
C25B 1/14 20060101
C25B001/14; C25B 1/04 20060101 C25B001/04; C25B 9/18 20060101
C25B009/18; H01M 8/06 20060101 H01M008/06; C25B 9/00 20060101
C25B009/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 29, 2010 |
FR |
1055215 |
Claims
1-7. (canceled)
8. A system for producing and supplying hydrogen and oxygen for an
electrical vehicle, the system comprising: a service station for
producing a supply of hydrogen and a supply of sodium chlorate
(NaClO.sub.3), the service station including at least one sodium
chloride (NaCl) electrolyser; and a vehicle structured to connect
to the service station in order to receive the supply of hydrogen
and the supply of NaClO.sub.3, the supply of hydrogen being stored
in the vehicle in a hydrogen tank, and the supply of NaClO.sub.3
being stored in the vehicle in a sodium chlorate tank, wherein the
vehicle includes a fuel system for transforming hydrogen and
NaClO.sub.3 into electrical energy in order to supply at least one
electrical device of the vehicle.
9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the at least one
electrical device is a motor used to cause displacement of the
vehicle.
10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the service station is
connected to an electrical supply source that provides energy
required to generate an electrolysis reaction in the
electrolyser.
11. The system according to claim 8, wherein the service station
includes intermediate storage tanks for storing the supply of
hydrogen and the supply of NaClO.sub.3 before delivery to the
vehicle.
12. The system according to claim 8, wherein the service station
includes: the at least one NaCl electrolyser, which produces the
supply of hydrogen and the supply of NaClO.sub.3 in an electrolysis
reaction; a supply of water, for the electrolysis reaction; a
supply of NaCl, for the electrolysis reaction; a supply of
electrical energy, for the electrolysis reaction; an outlet for the
supply of NaClO.sub.3 and an outlet for the supply of H.sub.2,
which are produced in the electrolysis reaction, the outlets being
structured to provide the vehicle with the supply of NaClO.sub.3
and the supply of H.sub.2.
13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the service station
includes intermediate storage tanks for storing the supply of
hydrogen and the supply of NaClO.sub.3 before filling the hydrogen
tank and the sodium chlorate tank of the vehicle.
14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the service station
includes a container for collecting NaCl stored on board the
vehicle.
15. The system according to claim 8, wherein the system further
comprises at least one other service station same as the service
station.
16. The system according to claim 8, wherein the system further
comprises at least one other vehicle same as the vehicle.
17. The system according to claim 8, wherein the fuel system
includes a fuel cell and a reactor for decomposing NaClO.sub.3.
18. A service station for supplying fuel-production components to
an electrical vehicle, the service station comprising: a sodium
chloride (NaCl) electrolyser, which produces hydrogen and sodium
chlorate (NaClO.sub.3) in an electrolysis reaction; a supply of
water, for the electrolysis reaction; a supply of NaCl, for the
electrolysis reaction; a supply of electrical energy, for the
electrolysis reaction; outlets for the NaClO.sub.3 and the H.sub.2
produced in the electrolysis reaction, the outlets being structured
to provide the vehicle with the NaClO.sub.3 and the H.sub.2, which
are used for fuel production in the vehicle.
19. The service station according to claim 18, further comprising
intermediate storage tanks for storing the hydrogen and the
NaClO.sub.3 before delivery to the vehicle.
20. The service station according to claim 18, further comprising a
container for collecting NaCl stored on board the vehicle.
21. The service station according to claim 18, wherein the service
station is part of a plurality of service stations of a system for
supplying fuel-production components to electrical vehicles.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a system for producing and
supplying hydrogen and oxygen for a fuel cell electrical vehicle
and also relates to a corresponding service station, part of a
system for producing and supplying hydrogen and oxygen.
STATE OF THE PRIOR ART
[0002] Vehicles using a fuel cell operating with pure oxygen and
hydrogen exhibit several advantages with respect to the fuel cell
operating with atmospheric oxygen. These advantages include in
particular the following distinctive features: the power density is
higher (compactness), the system for controlling the gases from the
fuel cell is greatly simplified, it is not necessary to moisten the
gases entering the fuel cell, the cost is lower for a given power,
the output of the system is higher, the air compressor is dispensed
with and no polluting gas is introduced into the fuel cell by the
air.
[0003] All the same, some major disadvantages remain. First, the
on-board weight of the high-pressure oxygen tank is relatively high
and, secondly, the use of pressurized gas presents certain risks.
The pressure has to be limited as the gas becomes extremely
dangerous when the pressure exceeds 200 bar. During an adiabatic
reduction in pressure, many materials ignite spontaneously on
contact with the oxygen.
[0004] The invention provides various technical means for
overcoming these various disadvantages.
ACCOUNT OF THE INVENTION
[0005] First of all, a first aim of the invention consists in
providing a production and supply system for an electrical vehicle
which is ecological and safe.
[0006] Another aim consists in providing a service station which
makes it possible to supply the vehicles in an optimum fashion.
[0007] In order to do this, the invention first of all provides a
system for producing and supplying hydrogen and oxygen for an
electrical vehicle comprising, first: [0008] a plurality of service
stations each comprising at least one NaCl electrolyser, which are
provided in order to supply vehicles capable of being connected to
the service stations with a supply of hydrogen and a supply of
NaClO.sub.3; [0009] a plurality of vehicles which can be connected
to the said service stations in order to receive the said supplies
of hydrogen and sodium chlorate for storage in the vehicles in
separate tanks; [0010] the vehicles comprising means for
transforming the hydrogen and the sodium chlorate into electrical
energy in order to supply at least one item of electrical equipment
of the vehicle.
[0011] The means for transforming the hydrogen and the sodium
chlorate (NaClO.sub.3) into electrical energy preferably comprise a
fuel cell supplied with pure oxygen and with hydrogen. Each vehicle
advantageously comprises a reactor for the decomposition of sodium
chlorate which makes it possible to load sodium chlorate into a
vehicle (submarine, aircraft, car, motorcycle, and the like) in
order to produce, in situ, the oxygen for use in the fuel cell and
thus to avoid the disadvantages related to the high-pressure
storage and to safety.
[0012] Thus, the invention offers a practical solution for the
manufacture of oxygen other than by electrolysis of water.
[0013] It is observed that the decomposition products of sodium
chlorate (NaClO.sub.3) are sodium chloride or salt (NaCl) and
oxygen. The salt can optionally be used again to recreate the
sodium chlorate. The oxygen is used to supply the fuel cell. This
is a clean fuel, providing a high output, contributing, first, to
generating a large amount of energy and, secondly, to being
friendly to the environment in which the vehicle is moving.
[0014] According to another advantageous embodiment of the
invention, the service stations are connected to electrical supply
sources which make it possible to provide the energy required to
generate an electrolysis reaction.
[0015] Furthermore, the invention provides a vehicle comprising:
[0016] a fuel cell; [0017] a supplying of the fuel cell based on
hydrogen and oxygen which are supplied by an on-board system for
supplying hydrogen and an on-board system for supplying oxygen;
[0018] in which the system for supplying with hydrogen comprises a
tank at substantially low pressure for storage of the gas using
metal hydrides, the said tank being in contact in fluid fashion
with the fuel cell in order to supply the latter with hydrogen;
[0019] and in which the system for supplying with oxygen comprises
an NaClO.sub.3 tank, a reactor for decomposition of the NaClO.sub.3
in contact in fluid fashion with the NaClO.sub.3 tank and connected
to the fuel cell in order to supply the latter with oxygen after
decomposition of the NaClO.sub.3.
[0020] Advantageously, the NaClO.sub.3 and hydrogen tanks each
comprise filling pipes which can be connected to an external source
for filling the tanks.
[0021] The system for supplying with oxygen is advantageously
designed so as to be able to provide the NaClO.sub.3 in
substantially solid form to the decomposition reactor.
[0022] According to an advantageous alternative form, the
NaClO.sub.3 is provided to the reactor by a mechanical supply
system, such as, for example, by an endless screw, or by
gravity.
[0023] The invention finally provides a service station for
vehicles, the said service station comprising: [0024] at least one
NaCl electrolyser, for producing hydrogen and NaClO.sub.3; [0025] a
supply of water, for the electrolysis reaction; [0026] a supply of
NaCl, for the electrolysis reaction; [0027] a supply of electrical
energy, for the electrolysis reaction; [0028] an outlet for
NaClO.sub.3 and an outlet for H.sub.2, which products result from
the electrolysis reaction, in order to supply a vehicle connected
to the said service station.
[0029] Advantageously, such a service station is incorporated in a
system described above and furthermore comprises intermediate
storage tanks for the storage of hydrogen and NaClO.sub.3 before
filling the tanks of the vehicles.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0030] All the implementational details are given in the
description which follows, supplemented by FIGS. 1 to 4, which are
presented solely for the purposes of non-limiting examples and in
which:
[0031] FIG. 1 diagrammatically represents a vehicle of electrical
engine type with a low-pressure hydrogen tank according to the
invention;
[0032] FIG. 2 shows the same vehicle in connection with a service
station;
[0033] FIG. 3 shows an example of a means used to allow the
NaClO.sub.3 to be transported, in this example an endless
screw;
[0034] FIG. 4 presents an example of a service station provided
with intermediate storage tanks.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0035] FIG. 1 shows an example of a vehicle 10, the propulsion
means of which, in this example electric motors 11 incorporated in
the wheels 12, are supplied by means of a fuel cell 13. The fuel
cell operates conventionally, based on hydrogen and oxygen. The
cell thus makes it possible to generate continuous current, sent
via a DC/DC converter 15 to the two motors, provided in the front
wheels of the vehicle illustrated. The DC/DC converter makes it
possible to adjust the voltage provided by the cell to that
required by the motors. For example, for a cell providing a voltage
of 90 to 150 volts, the converter increases the voltage, for
example to values which can lie between 250 and 300 volts.
According to other implementational examples, motors are provided
which are incorporated in the rear wheels of the vehicle or also a
single motor is provided, coupled to transmission means of known
type.
[0036] The hydrogen provided to the cell 13 advantageously
originates from a hydrogen supply system 20 comprising a hydrogen
tank 21 at substantially low pressure which makes possible storage
of metal hydrides. This advantageous storage means makes it
possible to optimize the amount of gas, making it possible, for
example, to be able to store a large amount of hydrogen at a
relatively low pressure lying between 3 and 15 bar. The storage
system comprising metal hydrides is described in more detail a
little later in the description.
[0037] A hydrogen pipe 22 makes it possible to connect the hydrogen
tank 21 to the fuel cell 13.
[0038] The oxygen provided to the cell advantageously originates
from a reactor 32 for the decomposition of NaClO.sub.3 placed, by
means of a transfer line 35, in contact in fluid fashion with a
sodium chlorate tank 31. FIG. 3 shows an example of a means which
makes it possible to supply sodium chlorate from the sodium
chlorate tank 31 to the reactor 32. In this example, an endless
screw 50, positioned between the two components, is used to
withdraw the chlorate, in the powder form, from the sodium chlorate
tank 31 and to transport it to the reactor 32. In an alternative
embodiment (not illustrated), the sodium chlorate is transported to
the reactor 32, positioned substantially under the sodium chlorate
tank 31, by gravity.
[0039] The onboard sodium chlorate is decomposed by the reactor
installed in the vehicle in proportion to the demand for oxygen
coming from the fuel cell. The decomposition of the sodium chlorate
is governed by the following reaction:
[0040] NaClO.sub.3+"Heat".fwdarw.NaCl+3O.sub.2;
as this reaction is endothermic, it consumes energy on board the
vehicle; the necessary energy is withdrawn from the electrical
energy produced by the fuel cell; however, the output of this
reaction is very high and the overall energy balance on board the
vehicle remains very advantageous, the share of energy withdrawn
from the fuel cell in order to thus supply it with oxygen remaining
modest.
[0041] The oxygen resulting from the reaction of the reactor 32 is
transported to the fuel cell 13 via an oxygen pipe 36. Rather than
disperse the sodium chloride (NaCl) as it is produced, it is stored
on board the vehicle, in a sodium chloride storage tank 37, in
order to be able to discharge it, via a discharge pipe 38, at the
service station and, in a very particularly advantageous use, the
recycling of this product is carried out on the spot, as is
explained below.
[0042] The sodium chlorate tank 31 and the hydrogen tank 21 are
supplied with sodium chlorate, on the one hand, and with hydrogen,
on the other hand, when the vehicle 10 is connected to a service
station 40, as presented in FIG. 2. The service station 40 is
equipped with two sites 41 and 42 for connecting to the filling
pipes 33 and 34 of the vehicle. The service station 40 is also
equipped with a connection 45 for connecting to the discharge pipe
38 of the vehicle.
[0043] The service station 40 is designed to produce sodium
chlorate and hydrogen using at least one NaCl electrolyser. The
service station must furthermore be supplied with water, salt and
energy in order to make possible the electrolysis reaction. Thus,
at a service station, the salt (NaCl) mixed with water (H.sub.2O),
at least in part recovered by emptying the vehicles, as set out
above, is electrolysed so as to produce sodium chlorate
(NaClO.sub.3) and hydrogen (H.sub.2). The following chemical
reaction illustrates it.
NaCl+3H.sub.2O+6e.fwdarw.NaClO.sub.3+3H.sub.2
[0044] It is observed that this reaction produces gaseous hydrogen
and solid sodium chlorate which includes three oxygen atoms. The
sodium chlorate can thus be easily stored without having recourse
to a pressurized tank with all the constraints related to this.
Furthermore, sodium chlorate is not dangerous. Consequently, it can
be easily transportable in a vehicle without danger. Intermediate
storage tanks for the hydrogen 43 and/or for the NaClO.sub.3 44 are
advantageously provided in the service station. The service station
also comprises a storage vessel 450 for the sodium chloride
originating from the vehicles via the connection 45, everything
with the technical means appropriate for providing for the transfer
of the said sodium chloride (endless screw or other suitable
means). These holding tanks and storage vessel make it possible to
produce the hydrogen and the sodium chlorate with complete freedom
and with more flexibility, without real-time supplying constraint.
For the service station, the storage constraints for the hydrogen
are not as severe as on a vehicle. Thus, the hydrogen holding tank
of the service station can be either a pressurized tank or
alternatively a tank with hydrides, similar to that of a vehicle,
but preferably with a volume corresponding to the recharging of
several vehicles. Transportation means of known type, such as, for
example, pipes provided with endless screws, make it possible to
transfer the NaClO.sub.3 from the holding tank to the vehicle to be
supplied.
[0045] It should also be emphasized that, since, according to the
scheme provided by the invention, each vehicle produces sodium
chloride (NaCl) and since each service station consumes sodium
chloride, preferably, each service station has available an item of
equipment (not represented in the drawings) for collecting the
sodium chloride stored on board the vehicle, in order to recycle it
in the service station for the production of the sodium chlorate
(NaClO.sub.3).
[0046] In order to store the hydrogen in an optimal fashion, tanks
comprising metal hydrides are advantageously provided on board the
vehicles. With such tanks, the metal compound acts as a hydrogen
sponge. There exist several metals and metal alloys which have the
property of absorbing hydrogen in their crystal lattice. During the
filling of a tank, the molecular hydrogen H.sub.2 diffusing in the
metal is stored in the atomic form H. The molecular bond is
weakened and a release of heat ensues (exothermic reaction). It is
therefore advantageous to provide a cooling means which makes it
possible to cool the tank during the filling. In the example of
FIG. 1, the hydrogen tank is provided with fins 23 which make
possible sufficient cooling if the charging time is not too short.
For more efficient cooling, a liquid-based cooling system can be
provided.
[0047] Conversely, in order to empty the tank, an energy supply is
required in order to recreate the molecular bond when the atomic
hydrogen leaves the hydride. In order to be able to be carried out,
the endothermic reaction requires drawing energy from the
surroundings, so that the tank cools. Advantageously, a supply of
energy makes it possible to optimize the expulsion of the hydrogen.
The cooling water of the fuel cell, once charged with heat energy,
can make it possible to provide a portion or all of the energy
required.
[0048] The most well known metal hydrides are: FeTiH.sub.1.7,
LaNi.sub.5H.sub.6, MgH.sub.2 and Mg.sub.2NiH.sub.2.
[0049] The weight of hydrogen stored in the tank per unit of volume
is undoubtedly one of the greatest advantages of such a tank
configuration with metal hydrides. The weight by volume of hydrogen
stored lies within 60 g/l and 130 g/l. By way of comparison, the
hydrogen compressed at 350 bar in a tank made of composite (for
example made of resin carbon fibres) has a density of 25 g/l. For
liquid hydrogen, 71 g/l are obtained. This amounts to saying that
the technology of metal hydrides makes it possible to store a great
deal of hydrogen in a small volume.
* * * * *